


Life it seems will fade away

by why-the-hell-do-i-write (stillwater_writes)



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Body Horror, Emotional Hurt, Infected 76 au, Infected!76, M/M, The end is fluffy though, it's wierd, sorta death?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-28 07:16:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7630381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stillwater_writes/pseuds/why-the-hell-do-i-write
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel Reyes has only one thing on his mind. Vengeance. And he'll get it at any cost. Hunting down the rats that brought down those he cared about.<br/>----<br/>One night while out on the hunt, he finds more than he bargains for. A face thought to be long gone. And in his attempt to save that face, he makes a life changing decision.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life it seems will fade away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tophatlass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tophatlass/gifts).



> Alternate title for this: Gabe hecks up. 
> 
> I got this idea from Tophatlass' tumblr, an anon had been talking about it, and being the pain creator that I am, I decided to write this. The AU is basically, the nanobot crud that made Gabe into Reaper somehow infects 76 and things go down.
> 
> Title comes form the song Fade to Black by Metallica.  
> (Links will be in the end notes)

Life as a mercenary has treated Gabriel pretty well. His Hellfire shotguns don’t come cheap, and most of the people he ends up killing were on his shit list anyway. Nothing worse than what he’d had to do back in Blackwatch really. In a few ways, things were even better. He has more money than he rationally needs, more just taking it in the hopes of chipping away at the bank accounts of the assholes who hire him since it’s, you know, a bit of a faux pa to kill your employer. Even when running as a gun for hire. Being outside the law and presumed dead is pretty nice, it means he can act with little worry of repercussions. After all, you can’t issue an arrest warrant for someone who’s legally dead. Not that the police would really have a chance, but not fighting them is definitely a preference. Best of all though is the access to information it gives him. Back in the day, intel was usually spotty at best meaning there were way too many ambushes to be had. Too many people lost. But as a merc, it means access to the systems of some of the biggest names in the ‘causing way too many problems’ game. It’s especially helpful in tracking down the rats. Those sons of bitches that were responsible for the fall of Overwatch. For Jesse’s arm. For Ana. For... For Jack.

Never did revenge taste sweeter than when they begged for mercy. When they prayed. When they screamed, horrified by the ghost back to haunt them. That’s the one thing he’d always do. Right before filling their body with burning buckshot, Gabriel would take off his skull-like mask, first revealing his mostly human face and waiting until the recognition and fear bubbled up in their eyes. Then he’d grin, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth, his face dissolving into black mist, and eyes burning like the depths of hell. It was a waste of energy and pretty painful, but the look of sheer terror was always worth it. He’ll get his revenge. And once that’s done, he’ll fade away and die. The thirst for vengeance is the only thing that had kept him from ending it all after he’d awakened. The only thing pushing him forward, making him wade through the ocean of grief, guilt, pain and blood set out before him. Once it’s over though, he’s going to let go. And if the universe is merciful, he might just see Jack one last time. Be able to tell him that his death has been avenged before the demons come to drag Gabriel to hell. God he misses that stupid and charming farm boy. With is liquid sunshine hair, sapphire eyes and laugh like an angel.

Whenever Gabriel wants to give up, to say screw it and let himself fade from existence, his last promise echoes through his head. **I’ll avenge you Jack. I’ll put it all right. It doesn’t matter how. I’ll find those that took my sunshine from me.** And he feels it in whatever is left of his heart, the burning hatred and anger that stave off the grief. The armor of emotion that separates the persona of Reaper from the broken man under the hood. He’ll finish this war, scratch every name off his list. And nobody will get in his way.

\----

The sniveling formerly-Overwatch rat slumps over, chest a mangled mess of flesh and blood. Reaper’s shotgun is still smoking, giving off the smell of fire and brimstone. _One more off the list._ His taloned grip on the gun loosens, and it falls slightly before dissolving into black smoke and rejoining his body. _One closer to done._ He stands, coat swishing slightly and boots clicking as he casually walks away from the corpse. _That’s all of them in the area. Time to move on._ As he walks, his phone buzzes. Grumbling slightly, Reaper pulls out the phone not bothering to look at the number before answering.

“What.” It’s a demand, not a question.

“Why so angry, mon cher? I thought we had an understanding.” Reaper lets out an annoyed breath at Widowmaker’s smooth voice.

“ _We_ don’t have anything. Your bosses just know how to entice me. I hate you just as much as everyone else.” She laughs, the sound mirthless and almost grating.

“My, my. Someone has issues, no? I suppose I should just call someone that won’t act like a little child.” Reaper snorts.

“Like you’re one to talk. Now what is it? I’ve got places to see. People to kill.”

“To the point as always. Well, my bosses as you call them have a very urgent job they’d like you to take. It’s not too far away, only a few miles and you only have to kill one person.”

“One? What do you need me for then? Is Talon so worthless that they can’t even kill one guy?” Widowmaker hums, slightly annoyed.

“No. We can deal with an average man easily. This one is not.”

“What makes you so sure that I’ll take this job?”

“Because he’s a former Overwatch member, and we both know how much you hate them. And, the offer is triple your usual rate.” It’s tempting to say the least, the possibility of taking down another dirty agent has Gabriel and Reaper alike intrigued.

“Fine. Where?”

“A facility five miles to the north-west. It’s disguised as a research laboratory looking in to the applications of algae in environmental cleaning.”

“Wow. That’s the worst cover I’ve ever head of.”

“Just get the job done.” The line cuts off, making Reaper chuckle. Man does he love screwing with her. He continues walking, grudgingly shadow stepping onto a distant rooftop. God does he hate doing that. As if keeping it together normally isn’t enough of a pain in the ass. Then there’s this, which adds searing pain to the already widespread burning of long dead nerves. He’s going to have to have a ‘talk’ with Ziegler about this sometime. Her intentions were kind, but damn if they didn’t do more harm than good. He shakes his head, banishing the thought. _Keep focused. It’s time to go play exterminator._

\----

The place is pretty ruined, large craters and bullet holes alike decorating the walls. The floors are littered with bodies, some alive some dead. Reaper walks past them all, not caring if he steps on a hand, a leg or a face. They’re all more or less worthless to him anyway. He’s got enough energy for now, and there’s no soft spot in his heart for Talon.

He follows the sound of distant gunshots and explosions, summoning up the dual shotguns. He arrives at the room the shots seemed to be coming from, pausing a second with fingers twitching on the triggers. _Time to go to work._ He kicks the door in, immediately ready to fire at whoever is left standing. So he’s left understandably confused when there’s nobody standing in there. _What the hell? Did they kill each other?_ He lowers the guns, surveying the bodies. There are five Talon agents, their body armor perforated with smoking holes. _Well. They’re all dead._ He knows just how effective pulse munition is, having seen the effects up close. It tears through armor very well, both burning surrounding flesh and raising body temperature slightly while cauterizing the wound at the same time. It’s very good for both killing and subduing, making both very easy with the high damage output and pain.

His gaze then turns to the other body in the room. It’s a man about his height, a shock of bloodied white hair adorns his head. He’s dressed in a pair of armored boots, gray cargo pants and an incredibly gaudy leather jacket, with a large 76 emblazoned across the back of it. _76.. why is that familiar to me?_ Reaper wracks his brain for a second before it comes to him. _That’s right. There have been a large number of news reports on this guy. They gave him a name too. What was it?_ He walks over, squatting down to curiously look at the prone figure. _Soldier 76. That’s it. He fights like he’s got military training from what they said. Well, that partly explains why he was able to run in here, guns blazing. Now. Let’s figure out just who you are._ He reaches out, intending to tilt the man’s head and get a look at his face, when he suddenly jerks up, causing Reaper to instinctively flinch. _Thought he was dead! Guess not._ The soldier lets out a pained wheeze as he tries to push himself away from Reaper, free hand searching for a fallen weapon. _Yeah no._ Reaper grabs 76 by the neck, tossed aside shotgun dissolving. _Let’s get an actual look at you._ He stands, dragging the weakly struggling soldier into a standing position. He’s pretty bloody, with quite the large hole torn in his side. _Huh. Guess the Talon goons aren’t completely useless after all._ His gaze moves up to 76’s covered face, the mask of metal and glass hiding his features.

“I wonder who’s hiding behind that mask.” Reaper muses aloud. He runs his free hand along the side of it, searching for the release. Finally he finds it, and with a click and slight hiss, the mask pops off. “Now, which rat are you I wonder?” He hooks a talon over the top of the mask, pulling it away preemptive hatred for whoever lives beneath it bubbling up. The face piece falls away as if in slow motion as Reaper’s body goes cold. _No. It can’t be!_ He stares as the newly revealed and barely conscious face, the protective walls of hatred and ruthlessness shattering.

_“j-jack!”_ Gabriel’s voice is barely a whisper, the emotions swirling through him are suffocating. Disbelief, confusion, relief, joy, and most of all fear. “Dios mío Jack!” He carefully lays the man down, sharp gloves meting away to reveal his hands which desperately but gently run over his partner’s face. “I-I thought you died... I... I can’t believe this... It can’t be real...” Half focused sapphire eyes find their way to his face, confusion appearing on Jack’s face.

“what are... who...?” Gabriel immediately pulls back his hood, tossing the mask hiding his face away.

“It’s me, estimado. It’s me my sweet sunshine.” His voice is soft and tender, if slightly shaky from emotion. It takes a second, but Jack’s eyes eventually go wide with recognition. He reaches up, gloved hand gently brushing Gabriel’s cheek.

“Gabe...” he whispers weakly, “I... I was told you were killed in the blast. I-I thought I’d lost you forever.” Gabe hums slightly, hand coming to cover Jack’s.

“It’ll take more than a little thing like that to take me away from you.” Jack lets out a weak wheezy chuckle before being seized by a fit of coughing. When he finally stops, his lips are red and sticky and there’s a large splatter of blood on the floor. _What the... OH SHIT_ In his happiness to see Jack, Gabe more or less forgot about the large hole in the man’s side. _I’m so stupid!_ He takes his hands and carefully places then over the gaping wound. “Jack, I’m-I’m going to try something. Something to patch you up. Is... do you trust me?” He receives a weak nod and Gabriel’s chest flood with warmth. _Even after all this time, he still trusts me. Now... please let this work._ He shuts his eyes in concentration, willing some of the nanobots that almost entirely compose him, to enter the wound and fix it. His hands dissolve slightly, the smoky tendrils drifting into the bloody opening. _Come on!_ He forces every ounce of energy possible into them, desperate to repair the damage Talon did. Jack only whimpers weakly, twitching slightly as the nanobots hopefully do their job. Gabe growls under his breath, what little energy reserves he has left are starting to deplete and Jack doesn’t look any better. _Screw it._ His body loses most of its form, only head and neck staying mainly intact. Tendrils of black and red snake through the room, latching on to the bodies of the dead Talon agents and robbing them of whatever’s left. The energy pours in, the recently dead cells being chewed through at a rapid rate. _You better not die on me._ Jack jerks, letting out a gasp of pain. The hole in his side is rapidly closing now, the tiny machines now having enough strength to repair. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the wound has closed leaving only a light pink mark where exposed bone and organs once were. Gabe collapses, the exhaustion leaving him struggling to keep a solid form. Jack’s breathing is ragged, but steady. _That was awful. But’s Jack’s alive. That’s all that matters._ He lays for a minute, composing himself before sitting up. Jack looks like hell, pale from blood loss, and shaking slightly but at least he’s alive.

“g-gabe” he whimpers, between harsh breaths “it hurts” Immediately Gabriel reaches out, gently rubbing Jack’s cheek.

“It’s okay,” his whispers, “It should stop soon. The wound is closed.”

“n-nn-no!” Jack’s breathing is getting harsher, tears welling up in his eyes. “the burning! it hurts so much!” _The burning...?_ Gabe’s gaze goes back to where the wound used to be. What was healthy new skin only seconds ago is now sickly gray, mottled with red and black. _Oh shit._ Numbly, he tears away at the coat and shirt surrounding the area, reformed claws slicing through the fabric easily. What he sees makes him dizzy. Lines of black and red snaking their way rapidly along Jack’s body, leaving the skin a dead and cold gray.

“Puto infierno” he breathes, mind attempting to process what’s happening “I never thought... how is…? Dios mio...” He knew the naonobots were made to fix a damaged body, Ziegler managed to tell him that much. So naturally he’d thought they could fix up someone else, but he’d never expected this. That they could spread. Infect. “Jack… I’m so sorry...” He grabs the violently shaking man, holding him close and paying little attention to the tears and leftover blood smearing on his coat. “Oh cariño... there aren’t words to explain how sorry I am...” his voice is choking up with emotion, eyes burning with tears he can’t physically shed anymore.

“g-gabe” Jack’s voice is strangled, eyes glittering with tears. In this moment he looks just like shy little farm boy who’d joined the military all those years ago. The person who’d clung to Gabe back in the SEP as the drugs ravaged their bodies. “I’m-I’m scared... I’m s-so afraid…” Gabe pulls him closer, resting his forehead against Jack’s. He feels clammy, a cold sweat breaking out from the agony his body is going through.

“I know my sunshine,” Gabe nuzzles his head lightly, one hand gently rubbing his cheek. “And we’ll get through this.” His heart aches at every pained sound Jack makes. “Just like the old days. I’ll stay by your side. I’ll see you through this.” Gently he pulls Jack further into his arms, silently cursing as every jostle makes Jack whimper. Finally, Gabe stands, firmly but gently holding him. “I’m going to take you home with me.” When he starts moving, Jack grabs his jacket in a white-knuckle grip, head tucking against Gabe’s side. It makes his heart ache so badly seeing Jack like this. “I’ll make it up to you somehow...” he whispers, cradling the limp form as he walks out of the building and into the night.

\----

The first thing Gabriel does when he gets home is gently lay Jack on the bed, taking care to make the transfer as soft as possible. Even so, Jack cries out in pain, the sound cutting like a knife. _God Jack, I’m so sorry..._ He gently brushes a hand against Jack’s forehead, and almost instantly recoils. _He’s burning up!_ The cold sweat from before had been replaced by that of a raging fever without Gabe even noticing. He deliberates for a second before making an executive decision. His hands move swiftly, reformed clawed gloves slicing Jack’s jacket and shirt to ribbons, making them easy to remove without causing him anymore pain, all the while pointedly not looking closely at the state of Jack’s torso. Once the clothing is nothing more than a pile on the floor, he gently pulls the boots off as well hoping the reduced weight on his body would make Jack more comfortable.

“Can you hear me Jack?” he whispers, leaning close to his head, “Is there anything I can do for you?” He only gets a pained moan in return. Guilt riddles his body. _Why does this sort of thing always happen? Am I cursed?_ Gently, Gabe takes hold of one of Jack’s scorching hands, squeezing it in an attempt at reassurance. “I’m right here. Squeeze my hand as hard as you need cariño. It’ll help.” Gabe doesn’t actually know if it’ll do anything to help, but at this point he’s willing to suggest anything. Immediately Jack’s hand tightens on his, the grip crushing. If Gabe had still been a normal human, his bones would be thoroughly crushed right now. Even with the enhancements from the SEP. It should be painful, but right not it’s a hopeful thing. A lifeline between the two of them. “I love you.” Gabe whispers softly, chin resting on the bed beside Jack. “And I’ll make sure we get you through this. I‘ll be here the entire time.” Jack only continues to moan weakly, but his grip tightens even further. “You’ll get through this. You’re strong Jack. I know it. You know it. It’ll be okay.” Gabe continues to croon, whispering reassurances and encouragement until the sun rises.

\----

Jack’s moans turn to whimpers which eventually fade to just ragged breathing as exhaustion and unconsciousness claim him. His grasp goes slack, making the only half-conscious Gabe jerk in surprise and alarm. His gaze immediately snaps to Jack, and the calling the state he’s in a horror show would be a massive understatement. His looks like a corpse. Skin a waxy grey, with the molted spots of red and black constantly shifting about. Whatever skin hasn’t been infested by nanobots is a burning red, still forced to be scorching by the shattered remnants of Jack’s immune system. None of that is the worst part though. No, the worst part is the patches of Jack that just _aren’t._ There are large swaths of his body that have seemingly dissolved, only a swirling black cloud left in their place. Leaving massive holes, exposing the reconstructed glistening organs and bone like. Gabe can actually watch Jack’s blackened lungs inflate and deflate, his partly consumed and partly intact heart beating at and erratic pace. The sight makes him dizzy. _Oh Jack... I can’t imagine how much pain you’re in..._ The burning of his dead nerves must be nothing compared to this. Gabe grasps Jack’s rapidly cooling hand, anguish filling him.

“It’s almost over Jack.” He whispers, despite knowing his suffering love won’t hear him, “There won’t be any more of this pain soon. I... I’ll teach you how to live like this. We can be together again. Like-like the old days. And nobody will be able to separate us again.” As the words leave his mouth, Gabriel’s heart fills with fear. _But will he want that? Will he even be able to look at me after this? After I made him this monster? Caused him so much agony? Doomed him to live like me? To need to... I-I..._ His gaze drops, face burning with shame at even thinking that Jack would want to stay. _No. I-he- I can’t be so naïve as to think he’ll stay. Much less forgive me. I can only beg for forgiveness. And if he leaves without killing me, it’ll be more than I deserve._ He’s so lost in a haze of apprehension, fear, self-loathing, and many other emotions, that when Jack lets out a high and grating screech, it startles Gabe so bad he instinctively makes his shotguns appear. “Jack!” He shoots to his feet, gaze locked on the screaming man’s face. It’s twisted in agony, his eyes lolling unseeingly as the red and black streaks snake their way up over the now extremely pale skin. He’s jerking erratically, limbs moving like that of a ragdoll, and the black clouds are swirling haphazardly. “Jack!” Gabe yells again, panic fresh in his voice. “Please!” And as soon as the fit started, it stops. Jack goes completely limp, eyes glassed over. “j-jack?” his voice is quiet and fearful. _What’s? No please..._ He reaches out, finger barely brushing Jack’s cheek. He doesn’t react. “please... no...” Jack’s skin gives out under the light touch, crumbling to black smoke. “no.....” The rest of his body follows suit, leaving a vaguely humanoid and sluggishly swirling cloud behind. “jack...” There’s no reaction. The nanobots continue to swirl, giving no signs of reforming.

“jack please-!” Gabe’s voice breaks, every bit of emotion he’d repressed for so long surging forward. “Please! I can’t lose you! Not again!” His hands curl around the side of the bed, back hunching from the sheer weight of his emotions. “I can’t let your death be my fault again! I can’t let it! I’m a selfish son of a bitch because of that, but I can’t!” His head smacks into the side of the bed between his unstable hands. “Please Jack! Don’t leave me all alone again! I’m selfish for it I know! I’ve always been selfish when it came to you! Always demanding attention, even when you couldn’t give it! And being a bitter asshole when you had to refuse! You were always my sunshine! My ray of hope! And I expected that too much! I was a demanding shit!” In his howling, Gabe doesn’t notice the faint blue pulse starting in the cloud that used to be Jack. “I never thought about how much of a toll it would take on you! You always had to put on a brave face! For me! For everyone on the team! For the bureaucratic assholes in the UN! For the entire damn world! You were so good! So good at hiding it!” The blue pulse grows stronger, condensing into a weak core. “All the pain! The stress! It must have been eating you alive! But you’d always put on that damn smile! Offer someone kind words! Try to help! You ran yourself into the ground to help everyone! And in the end I still acted like an asshole! It was my fault we were caught in that blast! If I hadn’t been screaming at you like a piece of shit this wouldn’t have happened! We wouldn’t have ‘died’! I wouldn’t be this monster! Meaning you wouldn’t have been turned onto one either!” Gabriel is shaking, his body destabilizing, smoky tendrils swirling erratically. “There aren’t words to describe how sorry I am! For everything! Every selfish and hard headed thing I’ve ever done!” He curls up slightly, the bed frame cracking under his harsh grip. “I... I can only ask, no _beg_ for forgiveness. I screwed up so badly! And refused to admit it! I-I’d understand if you hate me... you should...” He sags against the bed, the burst of emotion leaving him feeling hollow and exhausted. “I never deserved someone as good as you...” There’s a strange rumbling sound, and Gabriel looks up, his gaze unfocused.

“You’re such an idiot. Why would I hate you? You being a stubborn ass is pretty charming.” The nanobot cloud is more solid now, and has taken on a sitting position, a cerulean core glowing brightly, with two small bright sparks placed where eyes would be. As Gabe watches, they narrow slightly, in the way one’s eyes would when they smile. “What?” the highly distorted and mechanical voice asks. “Did you think I’d leave you? Really? You wouldn’t be able to survive without me nagging you. I’m amazed you’ve made it this long!” The voice changes as Jack solidifies more, becoming gruff like it had been before, but now full of teasing and affection not fear and confusion. The shock Gabe feels is all consuming, and he’s overwhelmed by the all the emotions and thoughts screaming inside him. He only realizes how ridiculous he must look when Jack chuckles again. “Careful.” He says, newly reformed eyes glittering with affection and mischievousness. “If you hold that look too long your face will freeze like that.”

“Jack... I... you... what...?” Gabe is completely lost now. _What the hell is happening right now? Am I dreaming?_ “Are.. what? Are you not really not mad? Do you really not hate me? After I’ve caused you so much suffering? Is this actually real?” The hope in his voice is painfully fragile. Jack laughs, the sound a pleasant rumble.

“Mad? Absolutely. I am pissed off beyond belief for so many reasons. None of them clear right now. But once what the fuck is going on actually sinks in, you’re getting an ass kicking. That’s a promise. As for hate? Nope. Don’t think so. Might be the shock talking, but I’m just happy to see you.” He shifts, mostly solid now. “I will kick your ass later though. Count on it. And as for your last question,” He holds out his arms, in an inviting gesture, “come and see.” Gabe lets out a weak and breathless laugh, practically throwing himself into Jack’s arms. He buries his face against Jack’s neck, crying tearlessly. From happiness? Relief? Still unspent grief? Something else entirely? He doesn’t know. The only thing that seems real at this point is the strong arms gently holding him. It doesn’t matter what the future will hold. If Jack will get angry and hateful and try to leave or kill him. Vengeance no longer matters. Seeking out traitors no longer holds any appeal.

All Gabriel knows is this this moment. These two dead men possibly having the chance to live again.

**Author's Note:**

> Tophatlass' post: http://tophatlass.tumblr.com/post/148072193810/okay-but-what-if-talon-forced-gabe-into-betraying  
> The song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEQnzs8wl6E


End file.
